Brandon Moreno will defend his gold at UFC 290 on July 8 against previous opponent Alexandre Pantoja, who has two victories against "The Assassin Baby" in mixed martial arts.
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Brandon Moreno, the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion, is presently preparing for his first defense. The Mexican will face an adversary he is more than familiar with in the Octagon after reclaiming the 125-pound title in January with a TKO victory over longtime foe Deiveson Figueiredo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Moreno will defend his gold at UFC 290 on July 8 against previous opponent Alexandre Pantoja, who has two victories against “The Assassin Baby” in mixed martial arts.
While the champion will need to be at his best to escape from the T-Mobile Arena with the title still in his possession, the magnitude of the challenge hasn’t prevented the customary speculation about potential successors. Amir Albazi seems to be one of the leaders in that pack, having ascended to #3 on the ladder following his contentious decision win over Kai Kara-France. However, if Moreno had his way, “The Prince” would be forced to perform some extra labor.
Albazi was defeated by Kara-France in a split decision in the main event at UFC Vegas 74 earlier this month. The outcome clearly divided views, with some recognizing the tight nature of the competition and others calling it a ‘robbery’ outright.
Moreno discussed the fight during a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. While he stated that he believed the New Zealander had done enough to get his hand raised, he argued that the headliner was competitive.
“I’m not gonna lie to you, I think Kai Kara-France (won) that fight,” Moreno said. “But it was a close fight, you know? … In general, it was a close fight, and that happens when you’re in the middle of a close fight.”
Despite attempting to ignore the outcry over the outcome, Moreno wants to see more from Albazi before defending his championship against him.
“I know Amir. I’ve trained with him before. I know he’s very good,” Moreno stated. “He’s working, you know? … Man, I don’t think (he’s earned a title shot). I don’t think he deserves the opportunity yet. But at the end, it;’s the UFC who makes the decision for me, for my next opponent. When UFC offers me opponents, the only things I ask are like, when is the fight? Who is the fighter? And how much I’m gonna get, money.”
It is unclear who the UFC will field to fight the winner of the UFC 290 co-main event. Brandon Royval has been clear in his expectations, in addition to Albazi asserting his claim.
Following a three-fight winning streak, “Raw Dawg” will act as the backup fighter for Moreno vs. Pantoja. While this might lead to a championship opportunity in the future, Royval is concerned about Albazi’s ascent in the rankings.
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